Bridges to Practice

Editor's Notes

1. What is Bridges to Practice?Estimates about the number of adults in adult education programs, social services programs, or employment-seeking programs indicate that probably 40-50% of these adults, at a minimum, may have learning disabilities that have kept them from achieving academic and employment success in their lives. The Bridges to Practice materials address this issue and are designed to help teachers, social workers, employment counselors, job coaches and others recognize learning disabilities, learn how to implement a screening process in a program, and learn what to do when an adult has been diagnosed with a disability.
2. A learning disability is a neurological disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways.
3. Dyslexia – a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder. Dyscalculia – a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts. Dysgraphia – a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space. Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders – sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision. Nonverbal Learning Disabilities – a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions. Is having a Learning Disability the same as having low intelligence?No, they are completely different. Often a person with LD finds one area of learning easy (for example, math) and another hard (for example, reading).Do you outgrow Learning Disabilities?No. Learning Disabilities are part of a person's makeup for life. However, people with LD have many strengths and abilities, too. Many adults learn to get around their limitations, advocate for themselves, and use their talents in all kinds of ways!
4. SCREENING: Inexpensive; Quick to administer, score, and interpret; Appropriate for large numbers of persons, and may sometime be administered in group settings; Narrow in purpose; Able to provide a superficial assessment of several areas, such as language, motor, or social skills; DIAGNOSIS: . The professional who administers the diagnostic testing prepares a written report which indicates the nature of the learning disability and makes recommendations for further actions, including appropriate interventions for the learner to meet with success. ($1200+)
5. The most effective teaching moves learners to more and more independence. As adults with LD understand how they learn, they become more in charge of their learning and their lives. Teachers need to understand the learning options that a learner may choose and involve the learner at all stages of learning. When teaching adults with LD, teachers need to know how to plan and structure the instruction so that learners succeed. This involves 'know-how' on the part of the teacher and an attitude of a mentor working in a collaborative way with the learner. What methods of teaching and learning work well for adults with LD?Characteristics: Effective LD Instruction in done in certain ways. For example, it is Direct - (Teacher tells and shows; learner practices.)Intensive - (Teacher asks many questions; learners respond frequently.) Structured and Systematic - (Teacher and learner go step by step.) Frameworks: Direct Instruction is an effective model. Instruction will take into account the ways in which a learner processes information: how she focuses on something to be learned, takes it in, perceives it and remembers it. Putting LD Instruction into Practice: To meet the challenge of effectively teaching adults with LD, teachers need todevelop teaching behaviors that focus on how adults learn and approach tasks.
6. Adaptations are changes that make learning- or work- more manageable for someone, whether he / she has a diagnosis of LD or not. Some examples are: Changes in the pace of learning Changes in the amount of material presented at one time Changes in the environment (e.g., alternate lighting, quiet workspace) Accommodations are legally required adaptations that ensure adults with (diagnosed) LD an equal chance for success. An accommodation is a change that Is required by law Helps people with disabilities have a fair chance for success Gives an equal chance to work in, learn in, and enter a building Is chosen for the individual person's need; and Is needed when you do similar tasks in other places Types of accommodations include: Using special equipment Doing work a different way Doing work in a different place; or Changing how others think about disabilities. Sample accommodations include: Private setting for learning and testing, free from interruptions and distractions Extra time to complete tasks Note-takers Repeated instructions or directions Large print text or Braille text readers Sign-language interpreters Assistive Technologies
7. Recognize and accept your disability. Understand your disability and how it affects your life. Understand and value your unique strengths, talents and abilities. Learn strategies and techniques to work around your disability. Be goal-oriented and persevere in working toward and achieving positive results. Learn from failures and take action to change what's not working. Build a support network of teachers, family members, friends, counselors and co-workers.